How to Have a Perfect Proposal, According to Romantic Comedies

Perhaps you missed your shot at popping the question over Christmas because of a family fight over the merits of Donald Trump's campaign. On New Year's Eve, you couldn't get an Uber and missed the dinner reservation where they were holding a fortune cookie with a proposal enclosed. Never fear! If you're going to go for it, you might as well go for the Super Bowl of romantic days. No, not the Super Bowl - c'mon, man - it's Valentine's Day.

Now, what if you're more hopeless than romantic? Sure, you could call upon things that are meaningful to you both as a couple, but why do that when movies have done it better? Romantic comedies have tugged our collective heartstrings and set the bar high for all proposals that have followed. Before you buy 1,000 yellow daisies, we have a few other options that you might want to consider because they totally worked in romantic comedies.

But first, are you definitely in love or just maybe? Here are a few signs that you might be ready to tie the knot:

You Are Best Friends This doesn't necessarily mean that your committed partner is your best friend. It's more that you've been pining over your best platonic pal. Chances are, at least one of you already knows and is trying to drop hints (He's Just Not That Into You) or you both have no idea even though you like all the same things and spend all of your time together (When Harry Met Sally.) But wait! Your best friend is getting married to someone else (Made of Honor.) Convince them you should be together based on that pact you made to get hitched if you're not already by 28 (My Best Friend's Wedding).

Warner Bros.

You Are Mortal EnemiesBetter than being best friends? Totally hating each other. Everyone knows that adult life is actually like 3rd grade, so the more he picks on you, the more he likes you. Even if you've spent all of your time scheming against each other, that's still more time than you've spent going on dates, so why not? Sure, maybe he put you out of business (You've Got Mail) or he picked on you when you were younger (13 Going on 30.) You may have even said that'd you'd "loathe him for all eternity," (Pride and Prejudice) but hey! You said eternity. Now you're stuck.

You're Telling an Elaborate Lie So, you're in a pickle and you've asked your "friend" to pose as your fiance in order to: A. impress your coworkers (Picture Perfect); B. make someone jealous (Snow Bride); or C. to retain your citizenship (The Proposal). It's just business, right? WRONG. Obviously, all that pretend is going to start to feel real and you're going to fall for each other, because no one deserves love more than liars.

It's The Apocalypse Nothing says true love like impending doom. It may seem like a formality in the midst of destruction, but if you're not gonna do it with only hours left on earth, then you are probably never going to do it. If you're a no-frills kind of person, this means no need to register at Target or endless discussions about china patterns at the reception. But get ready to give a good answer if you don't saddle up at the end of the world though, because she might just kill you anyway.

Impulsively So, the bells and whistles aren't for you. Suddenly, you just know in your heart that you could never love another, so why wait? Corner them out into the pouring rain (Four Weddings and a Funeral), crash into their workplace (Love Actually), or chase them down the runway at the airport. Just make sure you have at least an I.O.U. for a ring or it's B.Y.E.

In an Elaborate Fashion Surprise your unsuspecting significant other with not only a giant rock, but a flash mob (Friends With Benefits). The more choreography the better, TBH. There's also the impulsive, but elaborate combo of crashing a flight and serenading your love (The Wedding Singer), or you can let her choose from any number of rocks with a surprise trip to Tiffany (Sweet Home Alabama.)

Warner Bros.

Quietly at Home If you're not a bells and whistles person, but you actually planned ahead, you can shoot for a more intimate approach in the comfort of your home. You could opt for early in the morning when she wakes up, with perfect hair of course (Valentine's Day), sneak the ring into an ordinary item like pants (He's Just Not That Into You), or go big — Mr. Big — and trade in a diamond for a really baller closet (Sex and the City). But let's take a moment to consider: Is a proposal not on Instagram even a proposal at all?

Flip the Script Ladies, have you been waiting around forever for him to lock it down? If you're going to get a slow cooker anytime soon, you may need to take matters into your own hands. Ideally, it won't be on the heels of snooping around for the ring (Bride Wars), but that's at least a little better than doing so as an apology for leaving him at the altar (Runaway Bride). Just don't be that girl who uses an Irish tradition to force your beau into having to accept (Leap Year).

Put Yourself in a Film There are several of these movie theater trailer proposals out there, but let's tip our hats to the gal in this one, who continues to eat her popcorn and Junior Mints. Sir, you better be worthy of such a boss chick.